Saturday, June 12, 2010

Return of Silveri to Papal Liturgy

On the eve of yesterday's Feast of the Sacred Heart (10 June), our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI celebrated an evening Prayer Vigil with subsequent Adoration and Benediction with approx. 15,000 priests and 4,000 lay Faithful in St. Peters' square for the conclusion of the Year for Priests.

Here is a video of the occasion. While the answers of the Pontiff to questions asked by five priests, given without prepared text, are as always impressive and very much worth listening to, I would like to point out an item of liturgical interest. If you go to minute 63:15 of the video, you will see the Blessed Sacrament arriving on St. Peters' square, and it is greeted by the "March of Silveri", which used to be played at the elevation in the old papal Mass. This was the first time, as far as I am aware, that this piece was heard in papal ceremonies in decades. You may also recognise the baldachin used:


For comparison, here is the elevation of the Mass of Coronation of Blessed John XXIII (go to minute 2:55):

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